Unalaska Island (formerly known as Dutch Harbour) is about as far from big city America as you can get. Nestled in the remote heart of the Aleutian Islands chain halfway between Alaska's largest city of Anchorage and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, this isolated island is the United States' largest fishing port, with millions of tonnes of fish exported from its bustling port annually. This was my second trip to this amazing town in the middle of the North Pacific, and I was eager to return to explore it in more depth. In collaboration with the amazing folks at the Unalaska Visitors Bureau and Ravn Alaska Airlines, I boarded the 3.5 hour flight from Anchorage and headed west to explore this breathtaking and fascinating island. The ancestral homeland of the Unangan people, Unalaska/Dutch Harbour is much more than just an isolated fishing port. It's a place that is rich in indigenous culture, and I was eager to learn more about the Aleut people during my three days on this stunning island.

My trip began with a tour of the islands's Unangan archeaological dig sites, followed by a visit to the Carl Moses Boat Harbour to tour the newest boat that will be featured on the coming 20th season of the Deadliest Catch (which is filmed here every fall!). After meeting Father Tim at the historic Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascension, we hiked up Mount Ballyhoo for some incredible views and to explore the abandoned WWII ruins at Fort Schwatka, followed by a bountiful seafood buffet courtesy of the Grand Aleutian Hotel. Next up was a visit to the Museum of the Aleutians and the WWII Visitor Center to learn more about Unangan culture and the island's sordid history as the only location in North America that saw active combat during the second world war. On my last day on the island, I was invited to give an interview on KUCB Alaska Public Radio and to give a series of short presentations at the local schools, before heading out onto the land to enjoy some of Unalaska's most stunning mountains and ocean vistas.

This island is like no other place in Alaska, nevermind America. Offering a bounty of natural beauty, cultural attractions, some of the friendliest and most open locals in the country, delicious seafood, Russian colonial architecture, and a Hollywood-meets-bluecollar fishing port, Unalaska/Dutch Harbour was truly one of my highlights of all of my travels, and I can't wait to return.

00:00 Intro
01:43 Ravn Alaska
02:30 Arriving on the island
05:12 Fishing Port / Archaelogical Site
08:23 Deadliest Catch Boats
09:51 Russian Orthodox Cathedral
11:48 Fort Schwatka Ruins
18:49 Seafood Buffet
21:11 Museum of the Aleutians
27:06 WWII Visitor Center
29:02 Mountain Drive
30:57 Norweigan Rat Saloon
33:22 Radio Interview (KUCB)
38:53 Summer Bay / Morris Cove
44:18 Sea lions
45:03 Leaving Dutch Harbour

Vlog Number 189 | #NorthAmerica #United States #Alaska | #Unalaska #DutchHarbour | Filmed October 2023

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Sincere thanks to the following sponsors for making this video possible:

Unalaska Visitors Bureau - https://www.unalaska.org
Ravn Alaska Airlines - https://www.ravnalaska.com
Grand Aleutian Hotel - https://www.grandaleutian.com
The Museum of the Aleutians - https://www.aleutians.org
KUCB Alaska Public Radio - https://www.kucb.org

Download the following music used in this episode with a free trial of Epidemic Sound! (https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/26j8v5/)

1993 by They Dream By Day
Quiet Before the Tempest by Across the Great Valley
Not Blue (Instrumental Version) by Kylie Dailey
Skateboards and Sunsets by Rocket Jr

Stock footage by Adobe Stock Video & YouTube Creative Commons

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